Barnabe Barnes facts for kids

Barnabe Barnes (born around 1571 – died 1609) was an English poet. He is known for his love poems called sonnets and for his strong personality, which led to disagreements with other writers.

Early Life of Barnabe Barnes

Barnabe Barnes was born around 1571 in York, England. He was the third son of Dr. Richard Barnes, who was a bishop in Durham. Barnabe was baptized, which means he was officially welcomed into the Christian church, on March 6, 1571.

In 1586, he started studying at Brasenose College, Oxford, but he didn't finish his degree. His father passed away in 1587 and left money to his six children. Barnabe likely used this money to support himself.

In 1591, he traveled to France with the Earl of Essex. The Earl was a powerful nobleman who was fighting in a war at the time. When Barnabe returned to England, he published a book of poems called Parthenophil and Parthenophe, Sonnettes, Madrigals, Elegies and Odes in 1593. He dedicated this book to his friend, the poet William Percy. This book was probably printed for a small group of people, not for everyone to buy.

Barnabe Barnes's Sonnets

Barnabe Barnes was very familiar with the poems of French writers of his time. He was inspired by them, and even borrowed the title for his book, Parthenophil and Parthenophe, from another writer.

In his sonnets, "Parthenophil" means "virgin-lover" and "Parthenophe" means "virgin." These two names are used for the main characters in his love poems. You can find a kind of story in these poems, but it's not a clear plot. It's hard to tell if the poems are about his real feelings or if they are just a way to practice writing in the style of Petrarch, a famous Italian poet.

Parthenophil has many beautiful and fresh parts. However, some of his ideas are very complex and can be a bit hard to understand. For example, in one poem, Parthenophil wishes he could turn into the wine his beloved drinks. This idea was even made fun of by another writer named Thomas Nashe.

Some people think that Barnes's poems might have secret meanings about the politics of his time. For instance, the character Parthenophe, who represents a "virgin," might have been a way to talk about Queen Elizabeth I. This could show the feelings of people who supported the Earl of Essex during his disagreements with the Queen in the 1590s.

Disagreements with Other Writers

Barnabe Barnes was known for getting into arguments with other writers. He became involved in a public disagreement between two writers, Gabriel Harvey and Thomas Nashe. Barnes supported Harvey, who believed English poems should follow the rules of Latin poetry. Barnes even tried writing poems using these classical rules himself.

Because Barnes sided with Harvey, Thomas Nashe started to criticize him. Nashe accused Barnes of many things, like stealing a nobleman's chain. These accusations were probably not true. Barnes had written a poem for Harvey's anti-Nashe pamphlet, calling Nashe names like a "liar" and "worthless."

Nashe, who loved a good fight, responded in his own writing. He said Barnes was a bad poet and had terrible fashion sense. He also joked that Barnes was a coward during the wars in France, claiming Barnes wanted to go home to finish his poems instead of fighting. These stories from Nashe were likely just funny inventions to make fun of Barnes.

Later Works and Legacy

Barnabe Barnes continued to write after his early poems. His second book, A Divine Centurie of Spirituall Sonnetts, was published in 1595. These were spiritual poems, different from his earlier love sonnets.

He also wrote two plays:

• The Devil's Charter (1607): This was a serious play about the life of Pope Alexander VI. It was even performed for the king.
• The Battle of Evesham (or Hexham): The original handwritten copy of this play has been lost over time.

In 1606, Barnes wrote a prose treatise (a long written work) called Offices enabling privat Persons for the special service of all good Princes and Policies. He dedicated this book to King James. In it, he included descriptions of important people like Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Essex.

Barnabe Barnes was buried in Durham in December 1609.